Glass making



Aug. 12, 1941.

J. B. WHlTMORE ETAL GLASS MAKING 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed sept. 1, "1939 INIHIII Ida zaq ATTORNEY ONE CYCAA' Aug. l2, 1941.

J. B. WHITMORE ET Al. 2,252,589

GLASS MAKING Filed sept. 1, 1959 s'sheetsheet s www ww. QN www www.

MVM' I ATTORNEY determined mistreated i941 TED STATE azsasss GLASS MAKING .lames Bryant Whitmore, Bloomeld, and Frank A. Newcomhc, Nutley, N. J., mignon to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application september 1, 1939, sei-lai No. 293,014

v 5 Claims. This invention relates to handling themate- `rials for making glass, and more particularly "to a machine for receiving glass culletand chemicals used for making aspecial kind of glass, crushing said cullet, mixing it with said chemicals and delivering it to a receptacle, all automatically upon the mere closing of 'an electric circuit.

'Ihe principal object of our invention, generally considered, is the automatic mixing of glassmaking materials, and delivery thereofA to a receptacle, without manual labor and in accordance with an accurately predetermined schedule.

Another object of our invention Ais the constructionof a machine, automatically controlled by electric circuits in accordance with a preschedule, whereby glass-making materials are received thereby, automatically proportioned and mixed to produce a predetermined glass formula, the components of said formula being transported and elevated to a mixer, from which they are automatically discharged to a receptacle prior to transfer to a glass furnace.

Afeature of the invention is that the apparatus cannot be operated if there is not an empty batch box under the mixer discharge.

Another feature of the invention is that the cycle control motor cannot operate unless or until there is enough material in the bins to make one batch and Athel'discharge door of the cullet scale hopper is closed.

A further feature of the invention is that once the machine is started it will complete one cycle even though a bin is emptied during the cycle.

Anotherfeature of the invention is that dust hazard is eliminated 'by having the cycle control start the dust collector, which then continues until it is manually stopped.

A still further feature of the invention is that if any part'of `the system becomes jammed or overloaded during operation, the entire machine stops immediately and cannot be restarted until the trouble is obviated.

An additional feature of the invention is that means are provided for automatically cutting oif the mechanism which fills the bulb collet bin when the material therein reaches a certain level.

` Otherobjects, features, and advantages of the invention, relating to. the particular arrange- `ment and construction of the various parts, will Referring to the drawings illustrating our invention:

'Figure l is a side elevational view, partly in vertical section, of apparatus embodying our invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional viewV on the line II-II of Figure l, showing a portion of the apparatus on an enlargedA scale, in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line III-III of Figure 1, showing another portion of the apparatus on an enlarged scale, in the direction of the arrows. V

Figure 4 is a detailed perspective view oa portion of the apparatus illustrated in Figures l and 2.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing the-periods of time the various portions of the apparatus are in operation. f

Figure 6 is a wiring diagram showing the electrical circuits use d in the operation of our apparatus.

Priorfto our invention, glass batch mixing systems consisted of storage bins for raw materials, with gates at the bottom ends to drain said materials out. A wheelbarrow was used to convey the materials to a floor scale. After weighing, the materials were dumped into a loading quired considerable manual labor.

pan attached to a concrete mixer. By manipulating a series of levers, the charge was conveyed to the mixer, mixed, and discharged intr.` a batch box. The entire process was very dusty and re- A conventional batch-mixing system, as used by most glass plants consists of very large silos with a gate under the bottom of each, and a traveling scale and hopper for collecting raw materials, and conveying same to the mixer, where they are mixed and dumped into a larger hopper. The hopper and mixed batch are then conveyed as a unit to the furnace. Such a system only partly protected the Workers from dust and is manually controlled throughout.

Referring to the drawings in detail, whic show our improved form of automatic glass batch mixer, and first referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, there is shown installed, in connection with a building Il, a glass cullet elevator I2, consisting of a series of buckets I3 on an endless belt I4, isdriven by means of a motor I5, to raise cullet o r other glass-making material I6, received from a crusher il, driven by a motor I8. The glassmaking material I6 vis delivered to the crusher through door I9 into hopper 2l, as from barrels vor trucks 22, elevated and discharged to bin 23 from the top oi' elevator l 2, as by means of screw conveyor 24, driven from Ishaft of motor |5, as by means of chain 25. An automatic Switch 26 is desirably positioned near the top of bln 23 so as to cutoi the crusher and elevator motors, |8 and I5, when the bin is full.

Next to the glass cullet bin are three bins 21, 28 and 29, which may be similar and which contain the various chemicals 4needed for making the special kind of glass under considera-tion. In the present embodiment, the bin 21 is indicated as holding potassium bichromate 3|, the bin 28 as holding manganese dioxide 32, and the bin 29 as holding ammonium sulphate 33. These bins are loaded through doors 34, 35 and 36, from barrels or other receptacles 31, 38 and 39.

Beneath the glass cullet bin is an automatic cullet scale 4| driven by a motor 42, whereby when the apparatus is in operation a given amount of cullet is weighed and automatically discharged upon the conveyor Worm 43 therebeneath, for transfer to the elevator 44 along with corresponding batches of the chemicals 3|, 32 and 33, which are automatically discharged upon said 'worm by conveyomcters 45, illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 2. Inasmuch as the automatic scale 4| and the conveyometers 45 are not in themselves new, it is not necessary to describe-them in detail. Y

The operation of the worm 43 and bucket elevator 44, as by means of motor 46, delivers the materials to the mixer 41,' driven -by motor 48,

from which it is discharged at -the proper time through hopper 49 into batchbox 5| contained in a box 52 closed by a door 53.

In order to protect the workers from dust during the operation of our apparatus, a motor 54 drives a` blower 55 to create a partial vacuum over the` glasscullet bin- 23, chemical bins 21, 28 and 29 and other parts of the apparatus in the building such as the elevator 44 and batch box 52, thereby drawing the dust out of the building and creating such a suction that the opening of any doors during the operation, will result in air being drawn in rather than dust being blown out, of the connected apparatus just described.

Description of circuits and operation The circuit for operating the mechanism is illustrated in Figure 6, and the schedule of operations is charted in Figure 5. A consideration of Figure 6 will show that the operating motors I5, I8, 42, 46, 48, 54 and 90 are fed from three-phase lines, preferably 60 cycle, 220 volts, designated by the reference characters 56, 51 and 58, through manual switches 60, 10, 80, |00, ||0, and |30, which are closed prior to operation, the cycle control motor 59, however, being desirably of thev When the main-switch 63 in the single phase lines 6| and 62 is closed, the control equipment is connected therewith. 'In this line we have provided a normally open starting button 64, which may be mounted on a control board 50, as shown 15 in Figure 1. When this is pressed, a circuit is made that energizes the starting relay coil 65 through mercury safety switches 66 and 61. These switches are only closed when there is an empty batch box 5| under the hopper 49. In case the -batch box 5| is lled, it presses down on the element 68 and opens switch 66. If, on the other hand, there is no batch box in position, the lever 69 is not moved to close the switch 61.

When the starting relay 65 is energized, the line 6| vis connected to line 1| through contacts 12 closed by said relay 65. Line 1| connects to line 13 through cycle control'switch 14 already closed by its cam 15 mounted on shaft 16, operated by motor 59, the details of which are shown in Figure 4. That is, the motor 59 has a worm 18 on its armature shaft, meshing with a worm wheel 19 on the shaft 16, to operate the various cams thereon, which, in turn, close the associated mercury switches at the high points, and Iopen them at the low'points., on the cams. The motor speed and reduction gearing between the motor and shaft 16 are desirably such, that said shaft makes one revolution every ten minutes of motor operation.

Line 13 connects to one side of the startingrelay-hold up coil 65, the other side of said hold up coil connecting to line 62. This circuit, therefore, keeps the starting relay energized even after release of the starting button 64.

With the starting relay 65 energized, contacts 8| are closed, connecting line 6| to one-side of the cycle control motor 59 through line 82. Line 82 also connects to one side of mercury switch 83, the other side of which connects with line 6|.

Line mercury switch 83 Ais operated by a cam designated by thel reference character 84, on the same shaft 16. Switch 14 is assumed to be in closed position prior to pressing the starting button 64. Prior to the end'of the operating cycle, switch 14 is opened by cam 15, allowing starting relay coil 65 to drop out, opening contacts 12, 8|, 85 and 86. The cycle control motor 59 continues to operate, however, due to the circuit being maintained through switch 83, .until such time as this mercury switch is opened by its cam. The opening of switch 83 is at the extreme end of the operating cycle, at which point, mercury switch 14 again closes.

The other side of the cycle control motor 59 connects to line 81, which is at onevend of the control circuit, and connects to line 62 after passing througha series of overload circuits tobe now described. This arrangement causes the cycle control motor 5,9, and all operating units to stop in case of an overloadl in any single unit.

The connections to line 81 will be described by starting at the source of current in line 62.

Line 62 connects ,through line 88 and two over load devices 89 and 9| in the circuit to the conveyometer motor 90, to line 92.

Line 92 connects through overload devices 93 and 94 in circuit to elevator motor 4E, to line 95.

Line 95 connects through two overload devices 96 and-91 in circuit to mixer motor 48, to line 98.

Line 98 connects through two overload devices 89 and |0| in circuit to mixer tilt solenoid |02, to line |03.

Line |03 connects to line |04 through discharge solenoid overload heater unit |05.

Line |04 connects through two overload devices |06 and |01 in circuit to cullet scale motor 42, to line |08. I

Line |08 connects to line |09 through four mer- A cury switches ||2,v ||3 and H4. and "test the respective switches are open if its bin bey comes empty or the material therein drops below a point indicating insuiiicient material to produce one batch of the glass mix. Thus, if the circuit is not open, when the batch mixer is started, there is suiilcient material in each bin to make at least one batch.

Mercury switch lit is open at the start, but is closed immediately by its cam lil@ after the button ed is pressed and remains closed until the end of the operating cycle. The closing ot this switch short-circuits the bindicators" iii to iis, inclusive, preventing them from having any effect once"`the machine is started. l

sl-Iowever, should one of the bindicator switches open during the operating cycle, it will remain open unless or until sucient material is added to the bin, so that the equipment cannot again be operated until the bin in question is in condition for such operation. f

The test switch i It is used to stop the mixing unit after the conveyometers have completed their cycle. This makes it possible to catch the discharged material from each conveymeter in pans, check the weights, return the material, start the equipment and continue the cycle.

In case any of the above-described units should be overloaded, the overload device (or devices) affected immediately heats up, breaks the circuit on that particular unit (or units), and causes the control motor to stop. As one side of the coil in each of the line starters is connected to this control circuit iine, every line starter on the line c ircuit would also immediately open, stopping the relay H8, and on through line |33 to one side of coil |24 in scale motor starter |34. The other side of the coil.|24 is in parallel, with the other side of the'coil |32 in relay I I3, through line |35. This parallel circuit |35 connects to one side of the beam switch |22 and completes the circuit through contacts |23. The line |35 connects through this beam'switch to line |36.

Lineil connects to line through contacts |38 in relay lili. This is a holding circuit and keeps the cuilet scale operating even'though the entire operating equipment in case oan overload in any single unit.

Cullet weicher when the beam vswitch |22, which mounted on the automatic cullet-weighing scale di, and

voperates mechanically from said scale', is positioned so that the circuit is closed through contacts |23, the coil |213 in the scale motor starter i3d is energized, when the mercury switch |2t is closed by its operating cam |26, caiusing the feeder belt of said cullet scale 4| to be operated and discharge the cullet upon the conveyor screw dit.

The operating electric circuit is from the line 6|, through the mercury switch |25, through line |27, contacts 85 in start relay |48 operated by coil 64, to line |23. Line |28 connects through the interlocking switch |29, closed only when the discharge door of the cullet scale hopper is shut. If, for any reason, this door fails to shut, then the scale 4| will not function.

This switch |29 is necessary because the gate labove the feeding scale could be so regulated that sufficient cullet wouldnot enter the scale hopper during the time interval xed. In this case the scale will weigh inaccurately. With the each weighing that the scale makes. The counter always. counts in units o f ten when the' scale is working properly. Shouldthe scale miss a ,`;weighing, the counter will shows. digit in the last counter column.

'I'he circuit continues from switch |29 through line |3|, to'one si'de of the'coil |32 in scale motor present connection,4 the scale will weigh accircuit through mercury switch i25 is open, until scale beam switch |22 is tilted, breaking the circuit through contacts |23.

When the desired amount of cullet is on the scale di, the beam switch itt tilts and forms acircuit :from line i3d, through the beam switch, and contacts itil, to line lili. Line idiconnects through the coil it? of discharge relay i653 to line ist. This causes the contacts itt in discharge relay its to close.

Line itil connects through contacts itis in scale motor relay lit to line itil, which connects to line ti through contacts t@ in start relay id.

Line itl also connects to line its through contacts its in discharge relay M3, and then on through coil i'iii in overload heater unit It, through discharge solenoid |52 and line d8 to line tt. This completes the circuit and causes the scale hopper to dump immediately that the correct amount oi cullet has been poured thereinto.

' Conveyometer V Mercury switch ist the cycle'controller is operated by cam itt and connects line ti to line itt, before the cullet scale has made four weighings. In. other words, the cam its operates its switch |25 Athree .times before the switch itt is operated. This action energizes the coil its in conveyometer motor relay |2i, and closes contacts iis and It'i. Coil Itis in conveyorneter motor starter |59 is also energized, causing conveyometers to function. motor limit switch |6| is closed until the end of the operation.

The mercury switch |53 is then opened by cam f Inside elevator Mercury-switch |62 is operated by cam |63 on the cycle ontrol shaft 16 and functions to operate the collecting screw 43 located to receive the material discharged from the culiet scale and conveyometer. The discharge from this collect-- ing screw is at the bottom of the bucket elevator M.

The circuit is from line 6| throughswitch |62 to line |68, which connects to one side of the Y line starter coil |65 in elevator motor starter |66.

When this coil becomes energized, the line starter |66 completes the circuit tothe motor 46.

z Batch mixer Mercury switch |61 lis operated by cam |68 and -l-'starts and stops the motor I3 that drives the batch mixer 61. Line 6 connects through switch |61 .and line |69 to one side of coil |1| in the The conveyometer mixer motor starter |12. When this coil becomes energized, the starter completes the circuit and causes the mixer 41 to operate.

The mercury switch |13 is operated by cam |14 on the cycle control shaft 16. It functions to discharge the mixer 41, when the batch has been mixed for a predetermined period of time.

Line 6| connects through switch |13 and line |15 to one side of coil |16 in the mixer tilt solenoid starter |11, closing this starter and energizing the solenoid |02. This solenoid opens air valve |18 which, in turn, operates discharge mechanism |19 of the batch mixer 41.

Dust collector The mercury switch |8| is operated by cam |82 to energize the coil in the dust collectorl line starter so that said dust collector will operate when the batch mixer is started. One feature in connection with the dust collector 55, is that the cycle control switch |8| is used to start it, but a manual stop button -is used to stop it. This feature eliminates a dust hazard that would exist if the dust collector were stopped each time the charging unit was stopped.

When loading the cullet bin 23 from the basement, manual switch |83 is closed-to run the dust collector 55, and the outside elevator |2 only.

When loading the cullet bin from inside, manual switch |04 is closed to operate dust collector 55 and outside elevator |2 or manual switch |85 is closed to operate dust collector 55, outside elevator |2, and cullet crusher i1.

In the operation of the dust collector with the batch mixer, mercury switch il is operated by cam |82 and closes-immediately after the start button 6d is pressed, connecting line`|86 to line 46|. Line |35 connects to line |01 through manual stop switch |88. Line |01 connects to line |85 and one side of coil |9| in relay |52, through manual stop button |93. The other side of the coil connects with line t2 through line ii.

When coil iti is energized, contact |95 closes connecting line it@ to line 5|. One side of the coil |01 in dust collector motor starter |95, is thereby connected to line 6|, thus causing this coil to be energized, also closing line starter contacts |09, and 202 to energize dust collector motor 56.

Outside elevator andrei-usher To manually operate the outside elevator I2 and dust collector 55 only, switch |93 inside, or |84 outside the building is closed, to connect lines 203 and 206 to line 6|. This action energizes coils |01 and 205, disposed respectively, in

dust collector motor starter 206 and elevator moy tor starter 201, in order to cause operation of the dust collector motor 54 and the elevator motor I5.

Bindicator switch 26 is located in cullet bin 23, fed by outside elevator |2, and functions to stop the elevator when the cullet bin is filled to a pre- -determined point indicated in Figure 1.'

' Manually closing the switch |05, causes operation of the outside elevator I2, dust collector 55 crusher I1, by energizing coils. |91, 205 and 200 disposed respectively in dust collector motor -'starter 208, elevator motor starter 201, and crusher motor starter 209. As in connection with the preceding description of operation by' closing switchi or switch |04, bindicator switch 26 is part of the circuit.

'From the foregoing description of the mechanism, circuits and operation, it will be seen that we have provided for the automatiweighing,

bin with suflicient material therein, is not autoh matic, except that the automatic mechanism will not start if there is not suiiicient cullet in the bin for at least one batch, and the lling mechanism will stop when the level of the cullet in the bin reaches a predetermined point.

Summary of operations Figure 5 is a chart showing graphically one cycle of operations, which normally takes ten minutes. From this chart it will be seen that there are mercury switches for automatically controlling given parts oi.' the apparatus in accordance with cams, all of said cams being fixed on a single shaft. That is, upon operating the starting button 64, the switch 14 closes and inaugurates a holding circuit to keep the cycle-control motor 59 running, even upon release ofthe starting button. The mercury switch 83 closes the circuit to the cycle-control motor, thereby causing said motor to operate until the end of the cycle.

Mercury switch |25 is periodically closed and opened to cause the cullet scale to make ten weighings during one cycler Mercury switch |53 operates after three weighings have been made by the cullet scale to caus'e the conveycnieter to supply the necessary auxiliary chemicasto the cullet for making the desired kind of glass.

Mercury switch |62 closes to cause the conveyor screw 43 and elevator 44 to operate and iill the mixer until all the materials provided by the cullet scale and conveyometer have been transferred tothe mixer 31.

Mercury switch |51 operates,` preferably one hundred seconds after starting the cycle, to cause mixing o the material received from tne elevator, until it is discharged near the end oi' the cycle.

Mercury switch |13 closes near the end of the cycle, after the material has been well mixed, in order to cause said material to be discharged into the batch box 5|. A

Mercury switch 50| is closed at about the beginning of the cycle to start the dust collector I operating, after which it will normally run for the entire cycle and the operation thereof has to be stopped manually.

Mercury switch H6 short circuits certain safety switches in order to provide for the continuation of the cycle after it has been started.

It will, therefore be seen, that we have provided automatic machinery which takes material from several bins, mixes it in the desired proportions, and automatically lls a batch box therewith, the operation then automatically stopping until the filled batch box has been removed and replaced by an empty one.

It should, however, be noted that, as an alternative, the-batch mixer can be installed under-4 neath the screw conveyor and thus' eliminate the bucket elevator 44.

We can change the control cams and switches so thatany number of weighings of cullet occur ahead of the chemicals followed by cullet, or promiscuously intermix the weighings of cullet and any chemical.

We can vary the time o! mixing in the mixer aauabse fying chemicals, a switch for operating said conveyometer after the scale has made a desired A itself, also the amountof batch going into the mixer. We are not tied up to the use of bulb cullet or -any special glass material since we can f the batch box from under the mixer discharge andl along the rail system, with the mixer automatically stopped and held idle during the placement and removal of the batch box. As an alternative, the mixer may still function to mix a n'ew batch while the removal and placement of the batch box'is going on,that'is, as regards the outgoing filled .box and the incoming empty box. Although a preferred embodiment of our inv'ention` has been disclosed, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. Apparatus for automatically handling ma terials for glass making, comprising a motor,a control shaft, reduction gearing between said motor and shaft so thatl when the former is operated the latter turns slowly at a predetermined speed, a series oi cams mounted on said c shaft and each associated with a mercury switch for automatically controlling certain apparatus. one of said switches controlling said motor, said apparatus including an automatic scale, another of` said switches controlling said scale so that it makes ten weighings of glass material during one cycle of operations and discharges said weighings, a conveyor to receive saidr weighingcs, a conveyometer for measuring predetermined amounts of modifying chemicals for addition to said glass material, and a switch for operating said conveyometer after the scale has made four weighings, to cause the latter to discharge said modi-- fying chemicals into said conveyor, an elevator associated with said conveyor, another of said 2. Apparatus for automatically handling mate-l rials for glass making. comprising a control shaft,

means for turning said shaft slowly at a predetermined-speed, a series ofY cams carried by said shaft, a switch associated with each cam for automatically controlling parts of said apparatus. one Yof said switches controlling the turning of said shaft, said apparatus including an automatic scale, another of said switches controlling said scale so that it makes a desired number of the.

glass material weighings during one cycle of operations, and discharges said weighings, a conveyor toreceive said weighings, a conveyometer for measuring predetermined amounts of modinumber of weighings to cause the latter to discharge said modifying chemicals into said conveyor, an elevator associated with said conveyor, another of said switches controlling said conveyor and elevator to cause operation thereof for a predetermined part of the cycle, a mixer associated with said elevator, means controlling the discharge from said mixer, and a receptacle I associated with said mixer, whereby the conveyor and elevator feed the mixer until the materials have been transferred to the latter, another switch operating said mixer for a predetermined period of time, when stillanother switch initiates a circuit through said discharge solenoid, causing the material in said mixer to be deposited in said receptacle.

3. Apparatus vfor automatically handling materials for glass making, comprising a control shaft,

means for turning said shaft at a predetermined speed, a series of cams carried by said shaft, a switch associated with each cam for automatically controlling parts of said apparatus, one of said switches controlling the turning of said shaft,- said apparatus including an automatic scale, another of said switches controlling said scale so that it makes a desired number of glass material weighings during one cycle ofoperations and discharges .said weighed material, a conveyor to receive said. material, a conyeyometer for measuring predetermined Iamounts of modifying chemicals, a switch for4 operating said conveyometer after the scale has made a desired number of weighings to cause the latter to discharge said modifying chemicals into said conveyor, a mixer associated with said conveyor, whereby said conveyor feeds said mixer until the materials have been transferred to the latter, another switch operating said mixer for a predetermined period of time, and still another switch which then causes said mixer to discharge said material.

4. Apparatus for automatically handling materials for glass making, comprising a control shaft, means for operating said shaft, a series of cams carried by said shaft, a switch associated with each cam for automatically controlling parts of said apparatus, said apparatus including means for weighing certain of said materials, another of said switches controlling said weighing means so that it weighs a certain amount of glass material during one cycle of operations and discharges the same, a conveyor to receive said material, means for measuring a predetermined amount of other glass-making material, a switch for causing said measured material to be discharged into said conveyor with said first-mentioned material, a mixer associated with said.

conveyor', means operating said mixer for a predetermined period of time, said conveyor feeding the mixer in operation until the combined Amaterials'have been transferred thereto, and another switch which causes said mixer to disl charge.

45. Apparatus for automatically handling materials for glass making, comprising bins for holding glass-making material, a control shaft, means for operating said shaft, a series of cams carried by said shaft, a switch associated with each cam for automatically controlling parts of said ap-` paratus, said apparatus including means for weighing certain materials, another of said switches controlling said weighing means so that it ,weighs a certain amountof glass material fromv and discharges the same, an enclosed conveyor to receive said material, means for measuring a predetermined amount of other glass-making material from another of said bins, a switch for causing said measured material to be discharged into i said conveyor with said first-mentioned material, a. mixer associated with said conveyor, means operating said mixer for a predetermined period of time, said conveyor feeding the mixer in oper- JAMES BRYANT WHITMORE. FRANK A. NEWCOMBE. 

